Gujral's son enters Par to carry on family legacy

New Delhi, Mar 23: Newly-elected MP Naresh Gujral today said that he would carry forward the legacy of his father former Prime Minister I K Gujral and promote the interests of Punjab and work for stopping female foeticide in the country.

''I want to take forward the legacy of my family in politics, '' Mr Gujral told UNI after taking oath as a Rajya Sabha member.

Asked whether India is witnessing a unique Parliamentary system where family members of politicians enter politics, he said, ''What is wrong with it when the industrialists' sons enter business and film stars kin enter films. Moreover, politics is ingrained in my blood. I have basic training of politics since the beginning as both my grandfather and father were in politics. I have been helping my father for quite some time and had also contested the Lok Sabha seat from Punjab. Now I want to work for both the country and Punjab by entering Parliament.'' He said he would work to make sure that all the issues concerning Punjab were taken up in Parliament on a priority basis and new investments come to the state.

Mr Gujral, who is a senior leader of the Akali Dal (Badal) and has been unanimously elected from Punjab, said he would work for industrial development of the state.

Improving health care facilities in the state was another area, on which he plans to concentrate. He said he was planning to set up a Hospital in Jalandhar on the lines of PGI, Chandigarh for which a building has already been constructed. ''Now, I will talk to the Health Minister on making the hospital operational,'' he said.

Mr Gujral, who runs an orphanage for children in Jalandhar, said he wants to extend it and open five more such orphanages all over the state so that any child abandoned could take shelter there. This would also help in curbing female foeticide, which is a shocking practice, he said. ''Its a shame that in this day and age, girls are being killed. I will work to ensure that all girl children have the right to life,'' he said and added that he meant to continue social work alongwith politics.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat administered the oath of office to Mr Gujral in the presence of BJP leaders Jaswant Singh, Sushma Swaraj, S S Ahluwalia and some others.

On the occasion, Mr Gujral was flanked by his family members including father, uncle Satish Gujral, wife and children.

Mr Gujral would give company to children of other famous politicians such as Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Milind Deora, Supriya Sule, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sachin Pilot and Manvendra Singh.

UNI